Using Labyrinths

Chartres v.s. Classical

There is an ongoing controversy as to which type of labyrinth is most effective (read: is best). While I wouldn't deign to say which one I like more, I recently discovered a rather seminal difference between the two which might make one more effective than the other - depending upon your spiritual point of view. Lets take a look at how one walks the Classical versus the Chartres:

Chartres Labyrinth - In to Out

Classical Seven Circuit Labyrinth Out to In

Notice how the Chartres works by filling (mostly) the inner left-hand half first, then the inner right-hand half, the outer left-hand path, and finally, the outer right-hand half, before plunging to the goal.

Notice how the Classical works from out to in. The three outer paths are filled first, followed by movement into the center for the final four.

I wonder if which labyrinth you are drawn to

depends on how you see your relationship with your Maker?

But first, the Firmament…

The Catholic Encyclopedia tells us that the notion that the sky was a vast solid dome seems to have been common among the ancient peoples whose ideas of cosmology have come down to us. Thus the Egyptians conceived the heavens to be an arched iron ceiling from which the stars were suspended by means of cables (Chabas, L' Antiquite historique, Paris, 1873, pp. 64-67).The Hebrews entertained similar ideas in numerous biblical passages. In the first account of the creation (Gen., i) we read that God created a firmament to divide the upper or celestial from the lower or terrestrial waters. The notion of the solidity of the firmament is expressed in such passages as Job, xxxvii, 18, where reference is made incidentally to the heavens, "which are most strong, as if they were of molten brass." The same is implied in the purpose attributed to God in creating the firmament, viz. to serve as a wall of separation between the upper and lower of water.

To Transcend or Not To Transcend?

Lets start with the Chartres labyrinth. The seeker, on his knees, in the left-hand corner of the picture is kneeling in this physical reality, but there is that arc, the firmament, that separates the physical world from heaven. In this wood cut, the seeker has stuck his head and one arm through the firmament, and sees Heaven. Heaven is "somewhere out there." God is somewhere else other than "here." Omniscient, but not omnipresent. As a recent pop song said, "God is watching you, God is watching you, God is watching you, from a distance." God is transcendent. You go from where you are outward/upward to find God. (And usually, you gotta die before you can experience the One.)

On the other hand, the Classical type starts "out there" and brings the seeker in. The Deity of Choice is not out there somewhere, but inside. The Classical Labyrinths state by their pattern that God/dess is immanent. You can connect/experience the One whilst alive. S/He is In You.

Having made that distinction, I then feel that there is a possibility that aside from the fact that it is a Christian symbol, the Chartres labyrinth demonstrates Christian cosmology - God is out there, and if you want to find Him you have to start here and go out there. On the other hand, the Classical labyrinths are inherently more immanent i9n their outlook. God/dess is found inside, and everywhere. "All the Earth is Sacred, with every step we take."

One Method

There are a number of different ways to use the Chartres Labyrinth that have been suggested in recent years - everything from walking the labyrinth with a completely neutral mind to very complicated possibilities - like one I suggested in my book, Labyrinth: Ancient Myths & Modern Uses.

The Four Quadrants - Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual

Any issue can be productively looked at from these four points of view. Go to the mouth of the labyrinth, and state clearly the issue you want to work with. Then set off. As you begin in the Physical Quadrant, ask questions about how this issue effects your physical health, how it hits your wallet and the other physical aspects. Suddenly you find yourself almost at the goal - so near and yet so far, and then you jump in to your feelings. How do you Feel about all of this? And then back into the Physical, and so on.

The Dance Between the Four Worlds

Continue your way going back and forth between these four points of reference as you examine multiple aspects of the issue you are working on.

When you reach the outermost turn on the right hand side, you know that you don't have far to go. Review the Mental aspects of your concern and then the Spiritual ones, for one last time.

"What should I do about all of this?"

When you reach this point, right next to the mouth where you began, there is the final pressure of a leap of faith. Let go and let God/dess. The question at this point is, "What should I do about all of this?" Then walk with an open mind ready to perceive in any way that works for you. You might see the answer, or hear it, or just gnow it, it doesn't make any difference. Remember, ALWAYS go with your first "answer."

When you reach this point, right next to the mouth where you began, there is the final pressure of a leap of faith. Let go and let God/dess. The question at this point is, "What should I do about all of this?" Then walk with an open mind ready to perceive in any way that works for you. You might see the answer, or hear it, or just gnow it, it doesn't make any difference. Remember, ALWAYS go with your first "answer."

This last step asks about the first, "What is the first thing I have to do to manifest this answer I just received?" Again, go with the first thing that comes to you. This is not the time for, "No, I don't like that one, give me another way." Every journey begins with the first step, so this one is important - so you can gnow where it begins.

When you are in the center, breath, relax, or do any of the multitude of other things that people do in the center of the Chartres. When ready, walk out, working it opposite direction. See that first step, then review the answer/solution, and then Then, as you walk back and forth through the four levels/quadrants - spiritual, mental, emotional, physical - you turn on what I call your "crap detector." Actively and consciously judge and check out your vision and first step to achieve that vision. How will this scenario effect you on these four levels? Check it all out. If it resonates with you and survived all of the different ways you can look at this solution on your way out, when you get to the mouth, turn, and give thanks, and get on with it!

Rather than confusing, I found the going back and forth between these four levels is quite useful - yielding different perspectives depending upon where you just were.

A Way to Dance the Labyrinth

This activity was "invented" by Jon Appleton and his then partner who discovered it by accident in an outdoor temporary Classical Seven Circuit Labyrinth in a field in Exmoor in Somerset County, England. In his honour, it is called "The Appleton."

Jon Appleton

Notice the paths are numbered from 1 to 7 from the outside in. The Goal is number 8. You will be able to follow these instructions better if you have this drawing infront of you.

The Appleton is done by a group of people - it doesn't really matter how many as long as there are an even number. I have done this with a hundred people, but it will work fine with a dozen.

Have everyone find a partner. (it works best to start this way as one of the most amazing aspects of the Appleton is that partners end up with each other!)

Stand in two rows at the mouth of the labyrinth - from above, it would look like a lollypop with the two rows being the stick.

Row A goes in first. Have each person in Row A wait until the person in front of them has walked about half way around path # 3 (the first path). Then the next person in row A goes in. This continues until everyone in Row A has gone in.

The first person in Row B waits until their Row A partner has gone into the goal and is coming out, and is walking toward the mouth on path 7. His/her partner from Row B then walks in and takes her/his partner's (from Row A's) hand.

They then can walk a surprising number of paths together holding hands - one is going in and the other is walking out, yet they are walking together! When the Row A partner gets to the final turn on path 3, their Row B partner, who is on path 2, turns to path 1 and continues on towards the goal.

Meanwhile, the Row A partner lets go of their hand, and walks out the mouth. S/he then walks to the end of the Row A line/queue.

Assuming that there are an even number of people doing the Appleton, when their Row B partner is walking out from the goal, and is on path 7, their Row A partner will again be at the head of the Row A queue, and ready to walk the paths together again!

The Appleton
(Flash Graphic by Heather Hoon)

Notice how long the partners can walk together - even though they are going in opposite directions - one out, and the other in! This graphic is the pattern for just two dancers. It begins with one going in to the centre and the other waiting at the mouth. This animation begins when the first person has already reached the goal, and is starting out again. It ends with the suggestion that this dance can be done by a number of couples starting by standing in two lines at the mouth.

Etiquette: Couples walking clockwise (when viewed from above) lift their arms when meeting couples walking in a counter-clockwise direction who then go under them.

This can go on as long as you like.

Hint: I find it is helpful for someone to stand at the mouth to direct traffic (some get confused, and it can help keep things running smoothly).

When two couples meet, the couple who are walking clockwise (when viewed from above) raise their arms and allow the counterclockwise-walking couple to go underneath.

One way to work with the classical seven circuit labyrinth which I have discussed previously is to equate the paths with the seven chakras. Over the years, this has proved to be a very effective way to work with any issue that might be on your mind. But now we come to the Classical Eleven Circuit Labyrinth, which was especially popular in Scandinavia. It was used, like the seven circuit one, by fishermen before they went out in their boats.

Of course, one can just walk this one - or any labyrinth for that matter - in a meditative mind, and see what comes up, but there are other ways to use it which get more specific answers to specific questions. But first:

The Music

Like the Seven Circuit, one can correlate these numbers with their corresponding notes, and see what the melody is. Start with the note A (440) on the outside path, and move up the piano keyboard using all white and black keys until you get to G# in the goal.

Notes from the outside in:

A - A# - B - C - C# - D / D# - E - F - F# - G - G#

Path Order

The Order of Paths

5 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 1 - 6 / 11 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 7 - 12

Corresponding Musical Notes

C#-A#- B - C - A - D / G - E - F - F#- D#-G#

Forwards (In)

As with the "music" of the classical seven circuit labyrinth (E - D - C - F / B - A - G - C), there is a repeating pattern that I have separated with a "/".

Backwards (Out)

Forwards then Backwards (In then Out)

Forwards and Backwards at the same time:

If you look at a piano keyboard, from any given note (let's say Middle C), and go up to B the note just below the octave at C' (C prime), you will see that there are seven white keys and five black keys, the sharps or flats. Notice in the order of the notes above, the black keys (the sharps) are all at both ends of the progression and all of the white keys are together in the middle. I am not exactly sure what to draw from this other than to say that this seems quite unusual and totally unexpected!

The Twelve Signs of the Zodiac

A method that I have recently devised is the use of the twelve signs of the zodiac in astrology to gain clarity on any given issue. Number the paths from 1 to 12 - again numbering the outermost path as 1 and 12 in the goal. Then, start with Aires, the first sign of the zodiac in the outermost path, and work inwards, one sign per path at a time, to the goal, where one finds Pisces.

Classical Eleven Circuit Labyrinth and the Astrological Zodiac

Here are the twelve signs of the zodiac in order, starting with Aries. Each sign has two aspects - a positive side (+), which you use on the way in, and a more questioning or shadow side (-) to use on the way out. These are archetypal questions one related to each of the twelve signs.

To use the Zodiac and the Eleven Circuit Labyrinth

Remember, to use this key - again, the Path Order is:

5 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 1 - 6 / 11 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 7 - 12

Going In (+)

At the Mouth - Pause and state the Issue, then using the positive questions (+) related to each sign, walk in to path number:

(This may seem complicated at first, but on the next page, I have provided you with a printable crib sheet that you can take in to the labyrinth with you.):

5- Leo - What is the heart of this matter?

2 - Taurus - How can I fix this, nail it down, make it happen?

3 - Gemini - What do I think about this? Where are my dualisms and contradictions?

If the answers to the questions you ask yourself give you pause to be not sure of the solution, perhaps Hermes, the Messenger of the Gods, has played a trick on you, and it is not a resolution to trust. But if you can walk out of the labyrinth feeling positive about all of these zodiacal "shadow" (-) questions, Hermes has brought you a good message.

Below is a link to a crib sheet which you can take with you into the labyrinth. This process may, no, will seem confusing at first; however, it is worth the effort as it can assist you in looking at any issue from a number of different perspectives, and allow you to come up with a creative solution that you can then thoroughly check out before you reach the mouth of the labyrinth - where you began.

This page is an abbreviated version of a new chapter on the Classical Eleven Circuit Labyrinth that appears in a revised version of my book Labyrinths: Ancient Myths & Modern Uses republished by Gothic Image Publications in Glastonbury, England in June 2007.

Thanks to Palden Jenkins for his help with astrological key words, and to Jeff Saward for his magnificent labyrinth drawings.

Now that we have developed the Sevens Chart, we are ready to use the classical seven-circuit labyrinth in a conscious manner to solve real problems in our lives or to look at opportunities that come our way. Let's look at the Sevens Chart we have constructed once more:

No

Chakra

Note

Colour

Keywords

Mantras

8

C'

7

Crown

B

Violet

God/dess or DOC

DOC - your Deity Of Choice, God/dess

6

Third Eye/Brow

A

Indigo

Vision

the solution, the vision

5

Throat

G

Blue

Manifestation

'the first step'

4

Heart

F

Green

Personal Spiritual

"my spiritual life"

3

Solar

E

Yellow

Mental

"I think"

2

Sacral

D

Orange

Emotional

"I feel"

1

Root

C

Red

Physical

money, physical possessions and physical health

The idea is to stand at the mouth of the labyrinth, take a few deep breaths and clearly state the issue that is up for you. For example: "I am married with no children. My wife has a good paying job here in St Louis, but I have just received a job offer in California which would almost triple my present salary. Should I take it?"

Start walking at a slow but deliberate pace - one that feels comfortable to you. Do not stop walking until you reach the goal. You begin on the third path, so your mantra is, "I Think". What do you think about moving to California? It might run something like this: "I think this is a very big opportunity for me. I think my wife will not want to leave her job. I think. I think... California has a beautiful climate. I think I would like it better there than here in St Louis". And so on until you reach the end of path # 3.

As you turn on to path #2, begin to examine how you feel about this potential move. "I Feel. I feel that my wife will not want to quit her job to move out there. We haven't been getting along very well, and she might decide to stay here in St Louis. That makes me sad, but I sure feel excited about this new job opportunity!"

Now on to the outermost path, #1. How would moving to California affect my wallet and my physical health? "Well, I would have lots more money! I would be able to get some of those things that I have always wanted but couldn't afford. They say that there are all kinds of opportunities for exercise out there, but St Louis also has good exercise possibilities." And so on until you reach...

Path #4. On the personal spiritual level, "My wife and I have not been on the same spiritual path for years. I go to church, but she doesn't like the minister at my church. Actually, he is beginning to get on my nerves as well...".

Path #7. "God/DOC be with me on this decision". That's about all the time you have on this, the shortest path! You now come to the critical turn, the one from path #7 to path #6.

It is at this point that you must, as they say, 'let go and let God/dess'. Your left, analytical/rational brain has had full sway up until this point. It has had the vast majority of the paths. Now it is time for your left brain to shut up and allow your intuition to come to the fore.

Path #6. The Vision. Your mind needs to go blank on that turn, and you need to pay attention to the first thing that comes up. In this case, let's say you hear a voice saying, "Don't go!". Do not say at this point, "I don't like that answer, give me another one!" You must train your intuition so that you will always initially go with the first answer.

Path #5. The first step. OK, if I'm going to stay here in St Louis, what is the first thing I have to do? "Switch churches to one that both you and your wife can feel OK about".

Goal #8 - The place of No-thing. Stay in the goal and be there with a blank mind. When Some-thing happens (say, you start thinking about your vision and the first step), it's time to go.

Path #5 - Without judgment, review the first step. "Join a new church".

Path #6 - See your vision/intuitive solution again. "Don't go!"

Path #7 - Thank your Deity Of Choice for being with you.

Path #4 - Now turn on your left brain again. This is where you get to judge the information you received on paths #5 and 6. So on this path, How will this effect your spiritual life? "That just might bring me and my wife together again. She's been talking about a church called Unity. Maybe we should try that".

Path #1 - On the physical level, "It would mean that I would not be making the money I would make out in California, but getting our spiritual lives together might well make a big difference in how my wife and I get along. Hmm...".

Path #2 - "I would feel badly about missing a chance to make more money, but I also feel that if we were getting along better, I would not even be tempted to take a job elsewhere".

Path #3 - "I think if we were getting along better, I wouldn't be pulled to try something new. I think this would be worth a try".

At the mouth of the labyrinth, turn around and thank your DOC again for being with you. Then turn and walk away.

The labyrinth doesn't always work. By checking out the intuitively-received vision and the first step with your rational mind, you can come to a wholistic decision - it is worth a try.

You have looked at this problem/opportunity from a number of different perspectives/levels. In this case, the vision and the first step did check out on all levels, but if they don't, do not go with that solution. Try the labyrinth again later.

So now, give this process a try yourself. What is an issue that is up for you right now? Put your finger at the mouth of the labyrinth and state the issue.

It is always best to do this on a full-sized labyrinth and to walk it with your feet rather than with your finger. Initially, you will undoubtedly find this process a bit confusing, but I encourage you to muddle through.

Muddling requires a focusing of intent, and a stick-to-it-iveness to get the job done. You might well need to muddle through when you build your first big labyrinth as well!

I trust these Labyrinth pages will enable you to build and use a labyrinth as a problem-solving device. There's more information on the use of these amazing magical tools in Sig's book, Labyrinths: Ancient Myths and Modern Uses.

If you have any questions or if you encounter any difficulties, please contact Sig.

When thinking about the physical, this has to do with money, physical possessions and your physical health.

When you are working with emotions and feelings, a good keyword (or mantra - something you say over and over to yourself) is "I feel".

When you wish to explore your Thoughts on a given issue, use the mantra "I think".

Your personal spiritual life in relation to any given issue can be explored by repeating over and over "my spiritual life".

The Throat chakra is the point of manifestation. In real magic, the trick is to make that first little bit manifest. If you can do that, the rest is easy - it just follows. It's sort of like being just a little bit pregnant. ;-). So, use the concept of 'the first step': Every journey starts with a single step. "What's the first step I have to take to manifest this solution?".

The solution, the vision, comes at the Brow chakra.

The innermost path is where you invoke your DOC - Deity Of Choice - to be with you on this.

No

Chakra

Note

Colour

Keywords

Mantras

8

C'

7

Crown

B

Violet

God/dess or DOC

DOC - your Deity Of Choice, God/dess

6

Third Eye/Brow

A

Indigo

Vision

the solution, the vision

5

Throat

G

Blue

Manifestation

'the first step'

4

Heart

F

Green

Personal Spiritual

"my spiritual life"

3

Solar

E

Yellow

Mental

"I think"

2

Sacral

D

Orange

Emotional

"I feel"

1

Root

C

Red

Physical

money, physical possessions and physical health

To learn how to apply this information as a tool for problem/opportunity-solving, see next page >>

Using the Labyrinth: Chakras and Labyrinths

Up to this point in Using the Labyrinth, we have introduced labyrinth terminology - the order of the paths, the chakras, the colors associated with the chakras and paths, and the music of the labyrinth. If any of this is unfamiliar to you, please return to Using the Labyrinth - Terms

Crown and Root Chakras

The different chakras have different meanings. I think of them as all the vibratory possibilities in the universe divided in to seven parts. The Hindus have Sanskrit words for these seven chakras. I have my own terminology. If you have your own set of words, use them - if not, try mine.

The lowest vibrational section relates to the element Earth. Do you know what the slowest vibrating thing on Earth is? It's a diamond crystal. Crystals in general are among the lowest vibrating things on our planet. Sometimes this makes me wonder what all of the fascination about them is! (Actually, their benefit is that they vibrate at an exact known frequency.)

So the bottom chakra is the Root chakra, and it is the most enmeshed in the physical. At the other end of the vibrational spectrum is the Crown chakra. For this one, insert your term for your Deity Of Choice (DOC). Everything else is in between these two vibrational extremes, between God/dess and the Physical.

Sacral and SolarChakras

The second chakra up from the bottom/root is called the Sacral chakra and, for me, it is ruled by the element Water, the realm of the emotions and feelings. The third one up is called the Solar chakra, in the area of the Solar Plexus. This is the mental world - your thoughts, 'facts' and logical conclusions.

Heart Chakra

Above that is the Heart chakra. For the purposes of this exercise, I think of this as the center of your personal spiritual experience. When you are asked, "How is your spiritual life?", the questioner is not interested in the spiritual life of the entire universe, your country, your community or even of your relationship. It is directed to you.

Throat Chakra

Above the Heart is the Throat chakra. Do you remember what Adam's first job in the Garden of Eden was? It was to name the animals. Being able to name things gives one power over those things. Do you know what these terms mean: RAM, DOS, Hard Drive and Modem? If you do (and, even today, there are probably more people in this world who don't know than who do), you have some power over, some ability, to work with computers. Every job has its jargon: until you can master that jargon you will not be able to do the job. The Throat chakra is the place of naming things (Adam's Apple). To name something is the first step towards manifesting it - making it real. So, for me, the Throat Chakra is the place of manifestation.

Brow or Third EyeChakra

Above the Throat chakra is the Brow chakra or the Third Eye. Have you seen Hindus with a dot of color between and just above their eyebrows? This marks the Brow chakra. Among other things, it is the screen you dream on. With your eyes closed, can you picture a good friend? That's the 'screen' I am talking about. In the Old Testament, prophets had visions. While they didn't always see these visions - some heard them - they were messages from outside their normal waking consciousness. We need to learn to 'hear/see/gnow' these 'visions' as well.

Below these seven chakras are added to the 'Seven's Chart' found in Part One of Using of the Labyrinth:

No

Chakra

Note

Colour

8

C'

7

Crown

B

Violet

6

Third Eye/Brow

A

Indigo

5

Throat

G

Blue

4

Heart

F

Green

3

Solar

E

Yellow

2

Sacral

D

Orange

1

Root

C

Red

So what does all of this have to do with using the classical seven-circuit labyrinth? Hang in there, there's just one more step, and then we'll be ready to apply this chakra information to the labyrinth. I'll give you one clue right now: This labyrinth problem/opportunity-solving device works like rosary beads. It's a mnemonic device. You will be doing something different on each path. But first, let's just make one last addition to the Sevens Chart.

The Seven Chakras

There seems to be a solid connection between the seven paths of the labyrinth and the seven chakras. There is also a correlation between the chakras and the seven colors of the rainbow.

Notice that you don't walk these paths in order from one to eight. The colors don't go Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet (ROY G BIV). 'Walk' the labyrinth above with your finger. You will notice that the order of the paths is 3-2-1-4 / 7-6-5-8. I put a slash between four and seven to show you that this is a pattern that repeats itself twice: 3-2-1-4 and then 7-6-5-8.

If you cannot see the labyrinth to the left, you will need to install Shockwave Flash.

Using the Classical Seven Circuit Labyrinth

Some Terms

There are as many different ways to use a labyrinth as there are types of labyrinths. Perhaps the easiest method is to use them for walking meditations.

Stand at the mouth of the labyrinth - where you enter this single-path magical maze - take a few deep breaths, invoke your deity of choice, empty your mind and start walking.

While there are no 'rules,' I would advise you to not to stop along the way. Keep on walking mindfully until you reach the goal - at the center/middle of the labyrinth.

Stay as long as you like and then slowly walk out.

Of course there are numerous other much more specific ways to use labyrinths. For the rest of this section, I shall share with you a technique I have developed for use with the classical seven-circuit labyrinth.

First, let's look at the paths or circuits. Notice that there are seven different paths, with the goal making eight:

There are seven paths. For the purpose of this exercise, these paths will correspond to the Seven Chakras, or nodes of power that the Hindu faith speaks about. These chakras start at the base of the spine and run up the spine to the top of the head.